Structural, Optical, Morphological and Elemental Analysis on Sol-gel Synthesis of Ni Doped TiO2 Nanocrystallites

Pure and Ni doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by sol-gel method and characterized usingXRD, UV-Visible, FTIR, FESEM and EDS techniques. XRD pattern confirms the formation of tetragonal TiO2. The absorbance spectra of pure and Ni doped TiO2 showed absorption spectrum at ultra-violet region due to electronic transition between bonding and anti-bonding orbital (π-π•). Bandgap energy of Ni doped TiO2 decreased to 2.5 eV when compared to pure TiO2 (3.39 eV). FESEM study reveals agglomerated spherical shaped morphology. The functional groups of the prepared samples were identified using FTIR spectroscopy and the elemental analysis was further supported with EDS analysis.